Perhaps looking to broaden his implantable brain-machine interface portfolio, tech mogul Elon Musk has reportedly been itching to up his skin in the game beyond Neuralink, the pre-human-trial phase company he co-founded in 2016. Indeed, the mercurial Musk has recently entered a negotiation with rival company Synchron, according to Reuters. It isn’t yet known, however, if money will be exchanged in the interest of a buyout, an investment, or a tech titan team-up.
The news is at this stage merely speculative, as neither of the involved parties has confirmed nor denied their involvement. Reuters reports that no deal is certain, and Synchron is still mulling over the offer. Based on the outlet’s uncovered details, Musk reached out to Synchron’s leadership following a bout of frustration with Neuralink higher-ups concerning the company’s glacial development pace.
Neuralink’s human trial ambitions were laid bare in 2019; the company then projected an FDA approval campaign would be launched in 2020. Not much has worked out on this front, and the FDA has stayed uncharacteristically quiet on Neuralink's progress in the approval process. At the beginning of 2022, the company commenced a search for a new clinical trial director meant to oversee human testing of its brain implant. No public announcement of this role being filled has been made.
